Enhanced superplasticity in an extruded high strength Mg–Gd–Y–Zr alloy with Ag addition

• Addition of 2% Ag to the base alloy refined the microstructure and increased m-value.
• Volume fractions of both high angle grain boundaries and particles increased after Ag addition.
• Ag-containing alloy had an m-value of 0.51, typical of superplastic materials.
• Grain boundary sliding accommodated by lattice diffusion was the dominant deformation mechanism.

The effect of 2 wt% Ag addition on the superplastic behavior of an extruded Mg–8.5Gd–2.5Y–0.5Zr (wt%) alloy was investigated by impression testing in the temperature range of 523–598 K. The average sizes of the dynamically recrystallized grains of the Ag-free and Ag-containing alloys were about 8 and 3 μm, respectively. Analysis of electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) data confirmed the higher fractions of high-angle grain boundaries (HAGBs) in the Ag-containing alloy. The deformation response of this alloy in proper temperature range conforms to regions I, II and III, typical of superplastic deformation behavior. The addition of Ag to the base alloys led to enhanced superplasticity in region II by increasing the strain rate sensitivity (SRS) indices (m-values) from 0.25 to 0.51 and 0.36 to 0.46 at 573 and 598 K, respectively. These high m-values together with the activation energy of 181 kJ/mol suggest that the major mechanism involved in superplastic deformation is grain boundary sliding (GBS) accommodated by lattice diffusion at temperatures above 573 K.